Distribution: Occurring east of the Cascades crest in Washington; British Columbia to southern California, east across most of North America to the Atlantic Coast except in the extreme southeastern U.S.

Habitat: Sagebrush desert, especilly where sandy, to the foothills and grassland.

Flowers: June-September

Origin: Native

Growth Duration: Perennial

Conservation Status: Not of concern

Pollination: Wind

Strongly tufted perennial, the culms 3-7 dm. tall, solid and grooved.

Sheaths open, mostly glabrous, with hairs at the throat; ligules 0.5-0.7 mm. long; blades involute, 2-4 mm. broad, mostly smooth, but with long, soft hairs along the margins bordering the ligule.

Inflorescence a moderately-open panicle 10-20 cm. long, partially included in the sheath, the branches simple to again branched, spikelet-bearing to near the base, stiffly ascending; spikelets 1-flowered; glumes 1-nerved, acute, unequal, the first about 1 mm. long, the second twice as long; lemma 2-2.5 mm. long, acute, 1-nerved, awnless and glabrous, about equaled by the 2-nerved palea.